1. The Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to the art of electrically connecting leadless electronic packages to a printed circuit board or the like. The vehicle generally employed is a housing of some specific structure in which are positioned a required number of terminals having a contact on one end for engaging a pad or circuit trace on the electronic package and a leg or pin on the other end for insertion into the circuit board. The housing further includes means for securing the electronic package therein so that the contacts between the terminals and pads are under a predetermined compressive force.
2. The Prior Art U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,877,064 and 4,052,118 are two patents which disclose connectors for use in retaining leadless electronic packages and electrically connecting them to a printed circuit board. The connector disclosed in the first cited patent includes a frame structure having a number of cavities along each of the four sides. An S-shaped contact, positioned in each cavity has an upper end which contacts a pad on the leadless package which is positioned in a central opening defined by the frame structure. The lower end of the contact engages a trace on a printed circuit board. A bracket is bolted to the top of the frame to retain the electronic package.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,118 discloses a connector consisting of an elongated housing having a number of cavities along two, opposite sides and contact-bearing spring members positioned in the cavities. The spring members have a complex geometric shape adapted to exert compressive forces on the contact mating surfaces between the spring members, the leadless package and the printed circuit board. The elongated leadless electronic package fits into an opening between the two opposite sides and is retained therein by a pair of bolts which also secures the connector to the printed circuit board.